


Chase the Stars to Lose Our Shadows

by closetbidisaster



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Peter Pan Fusion, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:55:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22589017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/closetbidisaster/pseuds/closetbidisaster
Summary: If we chase the stars to lose our shadowsPeter Pan and Wendy turned out fineSo won't you fly with meOrKelley is the new Peter, the 5 dynamic BFFs are the new Lost Children, and Alex has to grow up
Relationships: Alex Morgan/Kelley O'Hara
Kudos: 41





	Chase the Stars to Lose Our Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this wouldn't leave me alone and I thought it might be a nice break from my Criminal Minds AU (which I'm still working on, don't worry!)
> 
> Not quite the happy ending I was originally aiming for, so read at your own risk :)
> 
> Title from Fly With Me by the Jonas Brothers

Kelley still remembers the day Peter left like it was yesterday. She had been staying with him and the lost children for a while now, coming to Neverland when she was only sixteen. A couple of the children had left over the years, feeling they were finally ready to grow up. They had been replaced by other children that Kelley and Peter had picked up while traveling the world. 

These last couple of years, however, Peter had been spending more and more time traveling to a very specific location. He stopped bringing new kids back to Neverland, leaving it entirely up to Kelley now. So she traveled and she had found a good group of younger girls who she could tell wanted nothing to do with growing up.

She found Lindsey staring out her window in Colorado one evening when she was thirteen; Kelley had heard her asking a higher being to keep her from growing older. Peter had brought Sam home to Neverland a few years prior and she and Lindsey had hit it off fairly well. Kelley found Rose and Emily on the same night at a summer camp. The three had snuck away during the night and had wished on a star, wanting to freeze time and evade maturing. The last to join the group was Mal; a young girl she found back in Colorado, aged only ten when Kelley found her.

Kelley and the lost children ran around Neverland, mostly under Kelley’s own supervision for a few years until one day, when Peter approached her. He told her that she was now the “new Peter”, she would be the one to find kids who didn’t want to grow up and escort them to Neverland. She would be the one to fight off Captain Hook and keep the island safe while maintaining good relations with the Press family who had resided on the island since before Kelley arrived.

They had shed a few tears; Kelley could not believe that Peter was finally willing to grow up. When she asked who it was that gave him the courage, the boy’s smile was wider than any she had ever seen him give before. He told her about how he had let a girl, Wendy, go home to London, to grow up. He explained that she was starting to get a little older, that time was running out for him. He told her he had found his forever in Wendy and that he was ready to grow up, and grow old, with her.

Kelley accompanied Peter to London that night. The two said their goodbyes on the Darling home doorsteps. When Kelley returned that night, she had told the girls about Peter’s decision and promised them she would never leave them alone.

There was nothing that could ever make her want to grow up.

* * *

Kelley had  _ not _ been paying attention that night. She was flying aimlessly, only half-heartedly trying to find someone who believes. She missed hearing the stories about Peter’s adventures and how much fun the two of them had together. She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts and memories that she almost missed the words.

“Neverland doesn’t exist; it isn’t  _ real _ . Everyone has to grow up.”

She nearly crashed into the exterior of a house. She pauses and hides in a shadow as she waits and tunes her ears to try and find where the voice is coming from. She waits for about five minutes but doesn’t hear anything. She turns to leave, ready to return home to the children, but before she can take off, she hears the voice again.

“You can’t seriously expect me to believe this load of bull-,” the voice is cut off by another.

Kelley doesn’t hear what the second voice is saying through the blood roaring in her ears. She circles around and glances around to the surrounding houses. All of the lights are out and the window where the voices are coming from is relatively well-hidden from the streetlights. She hovers beneath the window, feeling only slightly creepy.

“Allie, come on. You’re sixteen; you don’t really believe this, do you?”

“Actually, I do, Al. And I don’t know why you don’t.”

“Maybe because it’s not true in the slightest. I’m fifteen, not stupid.”

“Fine, don’t believe me. Go ahead, grow up and be a boring adult.”

Kelley’s blood runs cold.

“Okay, now you’re just being dramatic.”

“Just sayin’. Look, I gotta go home, but I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Sounds good. See you later.”

Kelley hears a door open and then close, followed by a heavy sigh and the sound of a bed creaking. The light flicks off, but the window remained open. Kelley waits another moment before rising a bit to catch a glance of the girl who doesn’t believe. It is too dark to see inside, but Kelley isn’t too disappointed; it would be a little creepy to stare at a sleeping girl.

She turns to leave but is startled by the sound of a dog barking. She goes to back away from the window, wondering how she didn’t notice the dog at first. The dog grabs onto one of Kelley’s pant legs and distracts her. She tries to shake it from the animal’s mouth and fails to notice the girl waking up from her sleep until she hears the voice she heard earlier.

“Who are you?”

Kelley finally pulls free from the dog and tumbles backward, turning head over heels. She hears a loud gasp from the girl as she fell from sight for a brief moment. She silently curses herself for not being more careful and slowly rises back up to the open window. She finds the girl still staring at her with wide eyes and an open mouth.

Kelley holds a hand up and tries not to get distracted by the girl’s beautiful blue eyes or the weird feeling her slightly raspy voice gave her.

“Don’t panic.”

“Who are you?” The girl’s voice shakes a little, but she doesn’t sound scared, more in awe than anything.

“My name is Kelley. I was, um, wandering around and I heard you and your friend talking about something that caught my attention.”

“You heard us talking about  _ The Bachelor _ and it caught your attention?”

Kelley blinks.

“Uh, no. What’s that?”

The girl’s eyes widen in disbelief.

“You don’t know  _ The Bachelor _ ?” She sounds legitimately shocked.

“You don’t believe in Neverland,” Kelley shoots back and the girl’s expression shifts from shock to confusion.

Sometimes Kelley really hates her inability to think before speaking.

“ _ That’s _ what caught your attention? My lack of belief in some kid’s fairytale?”

The girl laughs a little and Kelley turns slightly red. She is a little embarrassed, but she also really wants to prove this girl wrong.

“So, you just think I scaled the exterior of your house and found my way to your windowsill and managed to climb back up here after your furry beast attacked me?”

“Furry beast? You mean my puppy? She couldn’t hurt a fly.”

“Not important,” Kelley dismisses, “how do you explain how I got up here?”

The girl shrugged.

“Dunno, don’t really care. I do want to know why my lack of belief in Neverland and the silly notion of Peter Pan intrigued you so much.”

Kelley chews the inside of her cheek for a moment.

“Can I know your name first?”

“Alex.”

Kelley flashes a smile.

“Nice to meet you, Alex.”

“Yeah, you too. Um, do you, like, wanna come in?” Alex scratches the back of her neck and Kelley realizes that the girl must think she is actually holding herself up to the windowsill through her own strength.

She pulls herself up and sits on the windowsill, back facing the outdoors and feet dangling above the floor. She kicks her feet back and forth, like a kid, and grips the windowpane with her hands.

“So, why does it bug you?”

“What?”

“Why does it bug you that I don’t believe in a kids’ story?”

“Because it’s not just a kids’ story,” Kelley says as if it is the most obvious thing ever.

“So you believe it, then.”

“I don’t just believe,” Kelley says, smiling as she thinks about returning home and hoping the children haven’t gotten into too much trouble while she has been away. “I know.”

“Uh-huh,” Alex looks unconvinced, “and how exactly do you know?”

“I could tell you,” Kelley stands on the windowsill, “or… I could show you.”

She winks at Alex and backflips outside. She laughs when she sees the shock coloring the girl’s face as she flies back up to the open window. She stays hovering outside as she waits for the girl in front of her to process what she is seeing.

“How…” she trails off, eyes still wide.

“Faith, trust, and pixie dust,” she smiles cheesily, doing another backflip in the air.

Alex crosses her arms and frowns slightly. Kelley floats a little closer and tilts her head to the side questioningly.

“You still don’t believe, do you?”

“Not really.”

Kelley decides she needs to take a bigger step in proving it. So she says the next words without fully thinking it through.

“Guess I’m taking you to Neverland, then.”

Alex scoffs and Kelley raises an eyebrow at her. She turns away from the window and lets out a loud whistle. She turns back to the other girl and smiles when she hears the familiar sound of her favorite fairy in the whole world. She laughs when Tinkerbell appears and zooms around Alex’s room before settling on Kelley’s shoulder.

“Tink,” she nods to the other girl, “this is Alex. Alex, this is Tinkerbell.”

Tinkerbell jingles and Kelley sighs.

“No, Tinkerbell. You cannot let the children ‘have their fun’ when we get to Neverland. I know all about what happened with Wendy.”

Alex’s eyebrows raise, but Kelley waves her off before instructing Tinkerbell to spread her pixie dust so Alex could fly. The fairy then zips away, undoubtedly heading back to Neverland to tell the children Kelley would be returning with someone new. She really hopes the pixie doesn’t convince the children that Alex is dangerous; that would really put a damper on the visit.

“Ready?”

“For what?”

“To fly to Neverland, of course,” she smiles, eyes twinkling.

“You really expect me to believe that I can fly?”

Kelley sighs. This was going to be a lot harder than she thought. She floats into the room and perches lightly on the girl’s desk. She then points to the bed and gestures for Alex to stand on it.

“Jump off the bed and try to fly. But you gotta believe or it won’t work. Oh, and think of a happy thought.”

“Like what?”

“What makes you happier than anything in the whole world?”

“Soccer,” Alex replies immediately.

The word triggers something in Kelley; it sounds familiar but she is unsure why. The term seemed to activate something deep within the recesses of her mind and Kelley makes a mental note to revisit it at a later time.

“Okay, so think about soccer and why you love it. And believe that you can fly, that you won’t fall to the ground,” she explains as she lifts herself with ease and turns over in the air.

She waits as Alex prepares herself. She holds her breath when the girl takes a leap from the bed and hangs in the air unsteadily. When she doesn’t fall to the ground, Kelley breaks into a huge smile and flies to the girl.

“You’re flying!”

“Yeah, I suppose I am,” Alex laughs nervously.

“Ready to go?”

“I guess…”

Kelley takes a deep breath and heads out the window, motioning for the other girl to follow.

“Second star to the right-”

“And straight on ‘til morning. Yeah, I’ve heard.”

“We gotta work on your attitude. Neverland is the happiest place ever.”

“We’ll see.”

Kelley sighs but takes off just the same as Alex follows her.

This was going to be a lot of work.

* * *

“Kelley’s doing  _ what _ ?”

“Relax, Em,” Lindsey rolls her eyes at her overdramatic best friend. “Tink said she’s coming back with someone. It’s not a big deal.”   
  


“Not a big deal? This could shake the very foundation of the group.”

Lindsey shakes her head and turns away from the smaller blonde. She wanders around the hangout and finds Rose and Mal dozing in Rose’s hammock while Sam is drawing something on the ground. These three had taken the news markedly better than Emily had, which wasn’t very surprising. The younger blonde did  _ not _ do well with change; she had taken a bit to adjust to Mal joining the group, though she now loved the youngest of the group like her own sister.

“Alright,” Lindsey says, rousing the dozing pair, “Kel should be back soon. Who wants to go visit the Press family to let them know and who wants to be the welcoming committee?”

“I’ll go to the Press’,” Sam volunteers as she stands and stretches.

Rose hops down from the hammock.

“Sonny and I will join Sammy. You and Mal can be the welcoming committee.”

Emily is still frowning slightly when the trio leaves. Lindsey knows she will be fine; she just needs to get the pouting out of her system. So it was a good thing she was going to visit the Press family and would not be around to welcome whoever Kelley brought back.

Lindsey lets Mal doze a little longer until she hears the familiar sound of Kelley’s voice and Tinkerbell flies around the large room. The blonde moves to wake the younger girl who grumbles slightly and nearly falls out of the hammock as she attempts to get safely to the ground. The two kids startle slightly when they hear the familiar rooster crow; they hadn’t been expecting it. Kelley didn’t do it often, not since Peter had left.

Kelley descends the stars, tugging an unfamiliar face along with her. She is grinning widely and waves the two kids over to her. Mal and Lindsey make their way over, pulling slightly at their clothes.

“Linds, Mal, this is Alex,” she introduces the new girl. “Alex, this is Lindsey and the little one is Mal.”

“I’m not that little,” Mal whines and Kelley grins.

“Yeah, but you’re still the baby.”

Mal pouts and folds her arms over her chest. Lindsey pats her shoulder to remind her that Kelley is only teasing like an older sibling would. The younger girl unfolds her arms but remains unamused. Kelley turns back to Lindsey, still smiling.

“Where are the others?”

“They went to give the heads-up to the Press family,” Lindsey responds.

“Oh, right. We have dinner with them tonight, don’t we?”

Lindsey nods. Kelley can be very forgetful at times and she is extremely grateful that Lindsey keeps track of things like this for her. Kelley turns back to Alex, whose fingers are still tangled with hers.

“You’re gonna love the Press’. They’ve been here forever and they’re super sweet.”

Alex still has yet to speak, looking around the hangout and trying to take everything in instead. Lindsey feels for her; she remembers her first day here. She had felt supremely overwhelmed and hadn’t been able to process anything for the first few nights. She really hopes the whole lot of them won’t completely freak Alex out tonight.

“Kel, I think the others are gonna stay and help the Press’ get set up for tonight. Do you wanna show Alex around the island and meet us there?”

“Yeah, sounds good. If we’re not there within fifteen minutes of start time, come find us.”

The two turn and go back up the stairs to go exploring. As soon as they are gone, Lindsey turns to Mal with an uneasy look.

“Kelley hasn’t brought anyone home in a while.”

“I’m aware, Linds. I was the last one.”

“And she’s never been this smiley or touchy with someone she’s brought back.”

“Worried?”

Lindsey chews her bottom lip for a second before shaking her head and dismissing the worry that sat in her stomach. Kelley had promised she wouldn’t leave them and Kelley wasn’t someone who breaks her promises. Moreover, Kelley was  _ not _ one to catch feelings, or even notice them. That had been obvious based on the fact that she was  _ still _ oblivious to Christen Press’ crush on her.

For now, though, she has decided to not worry about it. Kelley is theirs to keep.

* * *

“Welcome to Mermaid Lagoon,” Kelley announces as the two arrive at their final destination on the island.

“Wow, it’s beautiful,” Alex breathes out, still in awe of everything she has seen so far. “But, where are the mermaids?”

Kelley shrugs.

“They don’t make their appearances well known as often now that Peter’s gone.”

“Gone? Like…”

“Decided it was time for him to grow up.”

Alex stays quiet; she can tell that Kelley is upset.

“Kelley!”

The two girls turn and Kelley smiles, taking off towards the voice and leaving Alex alone on the rock she is standing on.

“Hey, Abby! How’ve you girls been?”

“Been good; just counting the days until Peter returns,” the blonde replied with a smile.

“You’re gonna be counting a while.”

“Who’s your friend?” Abby nods at Alex who has started to make her way to Kelley.

“Oh, this is Alex. I’ve been showing her the island and we’re joining the children for dinner with the Press family later. Alex, this is Abby, one of the mermaids of Mermaid Lagoon.”

The blonde mermaid waves at Alex with a friendly smile. She turns back to Kelley with a knowing smile, but Kelley quiets her with a small shake of her head. This was  _ nothing _ like what had happened with Peter.

Kelley sees the sun is getting lower in the sky and remembers they have something to attend to. She turns to face Alex and nods towards the sky.

“Ready for dinner?”

“I could eat,” the other girl responds.

Kelley smiles and takes Alex’s hand again as they take off into the sky. As she leads them away from Mermaid Lagoon and towards the other side of the island where the Press family resides, Abby watches them leave. She can tell Kelley doesn’t see it yet, but she sure can.

This is going to end up  _ just _ like what had happened with Peter and Wendy.

* * *

“Stacy! How’s my favorite Press doing?” Kelley smiles and hugs the woman with one arm as her other hand is still holding Alex’s.

“Hi, Kelley. It’s good to see you again. I’m doing well, thank you; your children were a lot of help in getting ready for tonight,” she replies.

Kelley beams with pride. She and the children may have zero desire to actually grow up, but that didn’t mean they were incredibly immature or that they didn’t want to help out where they could. She was glad the trio of troublemakers had been helpful.

“C’mon, Alex. I wanna introduce you to my trio of troublemakers. Oh, and Christen too!”

The two wander towards the group of people moving around the table and finishing getting everything prepared.

“Sonny, Rosie, Sammy, come here.”

Two blondes and a brunette abandon the table and walk over, wearing identical, crooked smiles. They all have bright eyes, but Alex can see the shortest blonde’s smile is a little uneasier than the other two’s.

“Alex, meet Sonny, Rose, and Sam. Affectionately referred to as my trio of troublemakers,” Kelley points to each of them and the three of them strike ridiculous poses, making Alex laugh.

“Guys, this is Alex. She’s just visiting,” Kelley explains.

That seems to put the one Kelley referred to as “Sonny” at more ease. Her smile brightens and any tenseness in her body language dissipates. Kelley dismisses them to help finish getting ready for the meal and the three scamper off, giggling, back towards the two Alex had met earlier.

Kelley’s eyes are scanning around the table again and light up when they find who they are looking for.

“Chris!”

A pretty, darker-skinned girl looks up in confusion before breaking into a huge smile. She makes her way over to the pair.

“Kelley! I didn’t know you were back; you didn’t stop by to say ‘hi’ like you normally do.”

“Yeah, sorry,” Kelley apologizes before dropping Alex’s hand to hug the other girl. “I was showing Alex around the island. She’s visiting for a few days.”

Christen turns to face Alex as if she just noticed her.

“Oh, hi. Alex, was it? I’m Christen,” she says, smiling warmly and reaching out a hand for Alex to shake.

Alex offers a small smile in return and shakes the other girl’s hand.

“It’s nice to meet you. Um, thanks for letting me crash your guys’ dinner.”

“The more, the merrier,” Christen responds easily before turning around and heading back towards the table.

Kelley grabs Alex’s hand again and leads her to the table. Alex can feel Christen watching their interactions throughout dinner, but Kelley seems oblivious to the other girl’s gaze. Alex can see from a mile away that Christen likes Kelley and honestly, she doesn’t blame her. 

The shorter brunette is cute and her energy is unmatched. She obviously has things she is passionate about and cares deeply for the kids as well as the Press family. Alex still finds it a little strange that she is so hell-bent on not growing up, but it still manages to be oddly endearing as well.

The meal goes smoothly and everyone helps with dishes and cleaning the kitchen after they finish. Alex doesn’t miss Christen and Kelley heading out towards the backyard and she definitely doesn’t miss when they return and Christen looks slightly unhappy while Kelley looks as if she is a million miles away.

Alex’s worry vanishes when the group prepares to leave and Kelley intertwines their fingers with a smile. The group travels back to hangman’s tree, with the children singing some old song Alex had never heard before and Kelley and Alex wandering after them, still hand-in-hand. They arrive back at the hangout and the children climb in their hammocks, ready to sleep. They bicker over small things momentarily before settling down and drifting off to sleep.

Alex watches as Kelley smiles fondly at each of the children. Her heart flutters slightly, something she chooses to ignore, as she watches Kelley make her rounds to each of the beds and place a soft kiss to each kid’s forehead. Kelley approaches her with a tired smile that Alex returns.

“Uh,” Kelley scratches at the back of her neck, “I usually sleep in Peter’s old bed now that he’s gone. But, since you’re only staying a few days, you can use it. I’ll crash in the extra hammock with the kids.”

“Oh, no, that’s okay. I can take the hammock; I don’t want to kick you out of your own bed.”

Kelley shakes her head.

“No, I’m not gonna let you sleep in that old thing.”

“The children sleep in hammocks,” Alex points out.

“Those hammocks are a lot newer than the empty one. And they maintain their own hammocks.”

“Okay, now I’m definitely not letting you sleep in the old hammock.”

Kelley doesn’t respond.

“The bed looks big enough to share,” Alex suggests.

“Are you sure?”

Alex nods.

“Positive.”

Kelley nods and the two get into the bed, laying on opposite sides of the bed, somewhat stiffly. Alex falls asleep quickly, undoubtedly exhausted from the day of traveling and exploring a brand new place. As Kelley lies awake, staring into the darkness, she starts to feel good about bringing Alex here to prove how amazing this entirely too real place is.

Nothing could go wrong, right?

* * *

The not-so-quiet whispers wake her up. As she slowly comes to, she feels a warmth pressed into her side and something sitting on her chest. She blinks her eyes open a couple of times, rolling them when the kids scamper off, giggling at having been caught. They were ridiculous, but she really did love them. Kelley finally looks down and finds that Alex’s head is the “something” on her chest and her body is the warmth pressed into her side.

Kelley moves slowly and detangles the other girl from her before standing from the bed. She stretches and wanders out to the main area, finding the kids grabbing their bows. She sends them off with a wave and a smile, telling them to bring back something good.

Alex wakes up a few moments later and wanders out from behind the bearskin rug that functions as a makeshift door. She gives a tired smile to Kelley who ignores the weird feeling in her stomach and smiles in return.

“Where are the children?”

“Hunting for their breakfast,” Kelley tells her.

“What are you gonna eat then?”

Kelley smiles, eyes twinkling, something Alex totally  _ didn’t _ notice.

“They left some food for us.”

“Oh, that’s nice of them.”

“Yeah, they’re good kids.”

The two sit on the floor and dig into the food the children left behind for them. They enjoy the food and Alex is pleasantly surprised by how thoroughly she is enjoying it.

“So,” Kelley speaks in between bites, “what do you want to do today?”

“Something fun and exciting. Any ideas?”

Kelley ponders the question for a moment before smiling brightly. Alex can see the mischief in her eyes and only feels slightly nervous about it.

“How do you feel about pirates?”

* * *

“You were  _ totally _ showing off for her!”

“Shh,” Kelley hushes Emily. Alex is taking a nap, worn out from their morning messing around with Captain Hook and his crew.

Alex had admitted the thought of watching a real-life duel had always intrigued her. Naturally, Kelley decided that she would give the other girl just that. She had called down to Hook, letting him know she was there for him and had disarmed one of his men in order to fight him. She didn’t carry a weapon of her own; she had Peter’s dagger but never used it, preferring to keep it safely tucked away under her bed.

After winning the duel, and ensuring that Hook wouldn’t bother them for at least one week, Kelley had returned to the cloud where she had left Alex to watch. The other girl had smiled and genuinely thanked her for giving her this experience and for being safe. When they had returned to hangman’s tree, the taller brunette had promptly crashed.

The children had asked what they had been doing and Kelley had explained the whole story. She hadn’t realized that they would read further into the situation than she had, insisting that she had been showing off for the other girl.

“I wasn’t showing off, Son.”

“C’mon, Kel. You were showing off a little,” Lindsey says, leaning back to allow Emily to put her head in her lap.

“Was not.”

“Was too,” Emily argues and Kelley sighs, knowing there is no use in arguing with them.

Mal and Rose exchange nervous looks that Kelley sees and she raises an eyebrow at them.

“Alright, you two. Out with it.”

“Are you gonna leave us?” Mal’s voice sounds small and Kelley’s stomach twists.

“No, I’m not going to leave. What prompted that?”

Mal shrugs, looking smaller than the day she got to Neverland.

“Peter promised he wouldn’t leave either.”

Kelley takes a deep breath and moves to kneel in front of the youngest kid. She grabs the girl’s hand and waits for her to make eye contact.

“Mal, I promise I will never leave you guys, okay?”

The girl nods and looks away, pulling her hand from Kelley’s before leaning into Rose’s side who, in turn, leans into Lindsey’s side. Kelley sighs slightly, knowing that the younger girl hadn’t really believed her. The sound of the bearskin rug shifting pulls her attention from the kids and she turns to see Alex making her way towards them. The taller brunette flashes her a smile and Kelley returns it, a little uneasily.

As Alex comes to sit next to Kelley on the ground and bumps their shoulders together, Kelley tries not to think about just how right Christen had been the previous night. She had called Kelley out for already catching feelings and she had vehemently denied it, but there was no denying that Christen had been right. The other girl had looked a little hurt when she confronted Kelley, something that she didn’t quite understand but decided not to question.

For now, Kelley focused on ignoring the growing pit in her stomach at the thought of Alex leaving.

* * *

“Why do you want to grow up?”

Alex startles slightly at Kelley’s voice. She had found her way back to Mermaid Lagoon in an attempt to clear her head. The past couple of days here had felt like a dream; the days came and went, but time really did feel frozen. She was starting to feel a sibling-like affection for the kids, something that made her miss her own sisters.

“How’d you find me?” She dodges the question.

“I know this island better than anyone, save Peter and Tink,” Kelley says as she slowly approaches her and hovers a bit away from the rock that Alex is standing on.

“Right. Forgot that.”

“Why do you want to grow up?”

“Why don’t you?”

“Alex, stop avoiding the question.”

The taller brunette sighs and runs her fingers through her hair, a sign she is nervous or worried.

“I don’t know. I guess.,” she pauses, “it’s not so much that I  _ want _ to grow up. I just know what’s expected of me.”

“What’s expected of you,” Kelley echoes back. She can feel a cold sweat pricking the back of her neck.

She has the strangest feeling she once said something similar, a long time ago. She studies the girl in front of her who is refusing to make eye contact.

“I have to grow up, Kelley. Everyone does eventually.”

“Then how do you explain me? Or the Lost Children? Or this place?”

“I don’t know; I’m still not entirely convinced that this isn’t some fever dream.”

Suddenly, Alex is very cold and wet. She realizes she is underwater and pushes herself back above the surface, sputtering slightly. She glares at Kelley who’s now on the rock and wearing a crooked smile similar to the ones the kids wear when they are up to no good.

“Convinced?”

“That was low.”

Kelley shrugs but reaches a hand out for Alex to take. The brunette grabs it and, in one quick motion, tugs Kelley into the water with her. The smaller girl resurfaces still wearing a smile. Alex thinks she has never seen such a bright smile that made her feel so warm inside. She shakes the thoughts from her head as Kelley pulls herself out of the water and onto the rock. The shorter girl shakes herself like a dog, prompting Alex to raise an eyebrow at her.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Alex then pulls herself onto the rock next to Kelley. The sun is beginning to set and they both know what it means. It is time for Alex to return home and grow up. Half of her wants to tell Kelley to stay with her, but she knows Kelley won’t ever abandon the children.

“I don’t want you to leave,” Kelley confesses quietly, turning to face her. “Don’t leave.”

“Kel,” the nickname slips out, “I have to.”

The words hurt, but she knows what she has to do. She has to return to California; she has to grow up. Kelley doesn’t argue any further, but she looks sadder than Alex has ever seen anyone before. It hits her that she has yet to see the other girl without a smile on her face for more than five seconds.

“Let’s go,” Kelley says, standing abruptly.

Alex stands as well, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach that erupt when Kelley takes her hand.

“You have to give a farewell to the children.”

* * *

“But we don’t want you to leave,” Mal pouts, clinging to Alex’s waist tightly.

“Mal,” Kelley warns lightly, “you know the rules.”

The youngest kid reluctantly lets go of Alex and takes a step back, her eyes cast towards the ground as she tries not to show her tears. Alex feels a familiar tug in her heart, the same tug she felt when her sisters grew up and moved out. She barely registers the hugs from the other children, too busy trying to keep her emotions in check. She has to do this.

Sam and Rose sandwich her in a hug, telling her to not forget them. She manages to promise that she will never forget them. Sonny manages to give a tight hug, reminding her to keep up with learning new dance routines in memory of her. She gives a watery laugh and nods.

“Good luck,” Lindsey tells her when she hugs her.

The blonde then steps back from her and gives a sad smile before wrapping Sonny in one arm and Mal in the other. Alex smiles back at all of the kids, ignoring the pit in her stomach. Kelley then steps forward next to Alex and calls the children to attention. She instructs that Lindsey and Sammy will be in charge while she is gone. She also reminds them that she is “just a pixie away”, before calling for Tinkerbell and telling her she will be home soon.

Kelley gives a small, not entirely genuine, smile to Alex, intertwining their fingers. She leads them up the stairs and the kids follow them, singing a farewell song Alex has never heard but feels deep inside her.

As they take off into the sunset, Alex looks back at the children who have their hands raised in farewell. She allows Kelley to pull her along as she cranes her neck to keep them in her line of sight as long as possible.

She allows a single tear to fall when they disappear below the horizon and Alex turns away, towards home.

* * *

They reach her window far too soon for her liking. Alex had been selfishly hoping for more time with Kelley. Kelley helps Alex step in her bedroom through the window carefully. The smaller girl remains just outside, floating and watching Alex touch the ground of her bedroom.

“Do you want to come in?”

Kelley shakes her head; if she comes in, she may not leave. Alex’s face drops slightly and Kelley reaches forward before catching herself and pulling away again. Kelley allows herself to stand on the windowsill, much like she did the night they met. Alex studies her for a moment.

“Will you at least sit?”

Kelley hesitates but eventually sits cross-legged on the windowsill, holding herself just above the frame. Alex approaches her slowly and grabs one of Kelley’s hands.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For making me believe.”

Kelley cracks a smile, but Alex can see it doesn’t reach her eyes. She rubs a thumb against the back of Kelley’s hand. The shorter girl drops her gaze to their joined hands, avoiding looking into Alex’s eyes.

“I’m going to miss you, a lot.”

“I’m going to miss you too, Lex.”

The butterflies return with the nickname and she takes a shaky breath. This was going to be the hardest goodbye she would have to give.

“Goodbye, Kel.”

“Don’t say that.”

“What?”

“Don’t say goodbye. Goodbye means going away-”

“And going away means forgetting,” Alex finishes for her.

Kelley’s eyes are shining with unshed tears. It tugs at Alex’s heart in a different way than when Mal was crying, something she does  _ not _ appreciate.

“And here I thought you only knew the basics,” she attempts to joke.

“I’m full of surprises.”

“You really are,” Kelley whispers.

Alex takes a step forward and wraps Kelley in a tight hug. The smaller girl is shaking slightly and Alex can feel the now falling tears dampening her shirt, but she doesn’t care. They stay like that for a few moments before Kelley finally loosens her grip on Alex. The taller brunette pulls back a little, just enough to look into the smaller one’s eyes.

“Before you go, I have something to give you.”

Alex places a soft kiss on Kelley’s cheek. The smaller girl blushes slightly and looks down for a moment. When she looks back up, she finds Alex looking at her still. Kelley decides to let herself feel, even if only for a second, and she leans forward, capturing Alex’s lips in a kiss. When she pulls away, Kelley tucks a loose strand of hair behind Alex’s ear.

“Will I ever see you again?”

“If you ever miss me, look for me in the place where all of your dreams come true. I will always be there,” Kelley breathes out, studying Alex’s face before whispering the next words, “and I will always love you.”

Alex bites her lip in an attempt to keep the cry from coming out of her. She kisses Kelley one more time before taking a step back from the smaller girl. Kelley levitates a little higher, unfolding her legs and floating to just outside the window. She holds eye contact with Alex until she can no longer see the other girl. Only then does she turn to face Neverland, to return home.

“I’ll always love you too,” Alex whispers into the night, a tear falling down her cheek.

Later that night, as she is about to fall asleep, Alex swears she can hear the echo of Kelley’s laugh and falls into a deep sleep with a smile on her face.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> I really enjoyed writing it!


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